Etihad Airways partners with The Monyati Initiative to empower young women in Pakistan

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has teamed up once again with the Monyati Initiative, an Abu Dhabi based non-profit social development organisation, to empower underprivileged women in Kashmir, Pakistan.

Set up in 2009 with support from Monyati, the KDRC
Vocational Sewing Centre provides free education and vocational training to
empower young Pakistani women to run their own small businesses.

Sewing courses are offered to girls and young women to
introduce them to the basics of sewing, cutting, hand stitching and embroidery.
All courses are taught by certified teachers and last for six months. Upon the
successful completion of their training, students are given a certificate and a
sewing machine to embark on their own business venture.

Amer Khan, Etihad Airways’ General Manager in
Pakistan, said: “Corporate and individual philanthropy is an important part of
our CSR strategy. This project is a continuation of all our previous work in
Pakistan and where we aim to empower these young women both socially and
economically.”

Monja Wolf, the founder and managing director of
Monyati Initiatives, said: “We are pleased to partner up with Etihad Airways
for this great cause. More than 500 young women have benefited from this course
to date. We are delighted to have helped these young women gain the skills
needed for them to be able to support themselves and their families, and even
more importantly, helped them gain confidence and independence.”

Etihad Airways has worked previously with the Monyati
initiative on a number of projects to support underprivileged
children and families in India, Brazil, Madagascar, Bangladesh, and Sudan.